Types for skin ailments

Skin is a vital part of our body’s health and wellbeing. Our skin integrates our whole body “under one roof”. Skin senses pain, temperature and pressure. It is prone to injuries both externally and internally.
Skin diseases indicate that something is wrong inside the body. Lack of internal equilibrium manifests through the skin. From an ayurvedic perspective, skin diseases are caused by doshic imbalance, and therefore treatment focuses on imparting harmony and balance for the individual. Ayurveda can cure long-term skin diseases and chronic conditions such as dermatitis and eczema.

The Sanskrit word "Tvak" means skin

Tvac-Samvarne that which covers

Carma means skin

Tvak-Roga as skin diseases.

Kusta / Kushnatiitikusta is used to represent its impact in deep rooted causative factors causing damage, and appears inside to outside of the skin by destroying or deforming the associated tissues. the causativ e factors are internal (systemic) and external and some of them are even infective in nature.

While explaining 7 layers of skin Ayurveda targets the

epidermis and
dermis part of the skin and its
adipose tissue and its
muscular base.

Causes of skin diseases

From an ayurvedic perspective, the major underlying cause of disease is improper diet and lifestyle. If you pursue a diet or lifestyle that goes against your nature (known as your prakriti), you can develop a bodily imbalance that gives rise to skin disorders.
While imbalance of any dosha may cause skin disease, it is associated more with pitta imbalance (the heat element). Any activity that increases the fire or heat element in the body aggravates pitta and can lead to skin problems.
Ayurveda states that sluggish liver (dysfunction of the liver) associated with doshic imbalance causes skin diseases. The accumulation of toxins (ama) in the liver breaks out through the skin.

Some of the common skin condition mentioned in Ayurveda:

skin cancer, psoriasis, dermatitis and atopic eczema
any persistent rash or itch
skin allergies
skin discolouration, static or changing
acne, rosacea and other common inflammatory skin conditions
stubborn acne or acne scars
bacterial, fungal and viral skin infections

How does Ayurveda approach skin disease?

Before treating skin diseases from an ayurvedic perspective, it is necessary to analyze the person and their skin condition/s. The doctor diagnoses the doshic composition of the individual, their diet and lifestyle, their pulse and their skin health.
The goal of ayurvedic treatment is to restore doshic balance. Treatment methods involve a healthy diet and lifestyle with proper balance of food, exercise, herbs, meditation, and daily routines. There are also several ayurvedic therapies, such as traditional ayurvedic massage (abhyanga), designed to restore balance and promote skin health.
The best therapy to treat accumulation of toxins in the body is ayurvedic detox (panchakarma). As a complete program of cleansing and detoxifying, panchakarma flushes all toxins from the body at the cellular level. When the body is clear of toxins, it gains equilibrium, and the organs, including the skin, begin to function normally again.
Ayurveda always looks for the root cause of disease. While there are many helpful herbs and ointments that bring temporary relief to wounds, skin irritation or lesions, Ayurveda always looks to the underlying cause so the patient can restore their body to healthy balance and eliminate the symptoms of skin disease.

However the concept of skin refers not only to integumentary system (Skin. hair, nail) but that which has involvement of all body tissues.

Kusta as and genetically involved in its aetio-pathogenesis.

"As we all know that all types of Kushta in Ayurveda are Tridoshaja in nature"

Types of skin diseases

According to Ayurveda skin diseases are divided into mainly 2 types which are again subdivided into 7 & 11 types.

1) Mahakustha (Major skin diseases) – 7 in numbers

2) Kshudrakustha (Minor skin diseases) - 11 in numbers

All these 11 types of Kustha can be classified & treated as per dominance of Dosha.

· Vata dominance skin diseases in which affected skin becomes dry, rough, having black / gray discolouration & pin pricking pain.

· In Pitta dominant skin diseases patient suffers from local burning sensation, red discolouration, foul smell, pustular discharge.

· White discolouration, itching, coldness, infected wound are the symptoms of Kapha dominant skin diseases.

· Dominance of 2 or all 3 Dosha exhibit the symptoms of respective 2 or 3 Doshas.

There are 18 types of "Mahakusta" as major diseases and around

Kapala
Udumbara
Mandala
Rsyajihva
Pundarika
Sidhma
Kakanaka
Ekakustha
Charmakhya
Kitibha
Vipadika
Alasaka
Dadru
Charmadala
Pama (Psoriasis & Eczema)
Visphota
Shataru
Vicharchika

Sign &Symptoms

7 MAHA KUSHTA TYPES

1 . Kapala Kustha

Kapala refers to broken piece of earthen pot. Kapala type of Kushta is charecterized by

Krishna Arunam Kapalabham - The patches in the skin looks like black and reddish pieces. - Kapala (like broken piece of earthen pot)
Ruksham parusham tanu - Skin lesions are dry, rough and thick to touch.
Toda bahulam - These are associated with excessive pain and
The ailment is difficult to cure

It is caused due to Vata dosha increase.

2 . Udumbara Kushta

Daha - Burning sensation

Kandu - itching

Ruja - pain

Raga - redness

Loma pinjaram - the hairs on the patches turn brown and

it looks like the fruit of Udumbara

It is caused due to Pita dosha increase.

3 . Mandala Kushta

Mandala type of Kushta is characterize by the following

Svetham Raktam - White and red in color.

Sthiram, styanam, Snigdha, Utsanna Mandala - It is stable compact unctuous and circular with elevated patches.

Krichra sandhya - It is difficult to cure.

Anyonya samsaktam - Patches are muted with each other.

4 . Rashyajihva Kushta

Karkasham - Rough.

Rakta paryanta - Red Edges.

Antaha shyava - Brown inside.

Savedana - Painful

Rushyajihva yadryshya - It resembles a tongue of Rushya (a type of antelope with blue testicle)

It is caused due ti vata and pitta dosha increase.

5 . Pundareeka Kushta

Sa Shvetam Rakta paryanta - White in color with red edges.

Pundareeka dala - It resembles a leaf of a Lotus.

Utseda - Elevated

Daha - Burning sensation.

It is caused due to kapha and pitta increase.

Tanu,Ghrustam vimunchati - Thin, and when rubbed, it emits small particles of the skin in the form of dust.

Alabu Pushpa varnam - It resembles the flower of Alabu.(Lagenaria siceraia) Bottle guard.

Prayena Cha Urasi - It is generally located in the chest.

It is caused due to Vata and kapha dosha increase.

6 . Sidhma Kushta

Svetam Tamram - White and coppery in color.

Tanu,Ghrustam vimunchati - Thin, and when rubbed, it emits small particles of the skin in the form of dust.

Alabu Pushpa varnam - It resembles the flower of Alabu.(Lagenaria siceraia) Bottle guard.

Prayena Cha Urasi - It is generally located in the chest.

It is caused due to Vata and kapha dosha increase.

7 . Kikana Kushta

Kikanantika varna - Red in color like the seed of Gunja (Abrus preccatorius Linn)

Apakam - Does not get suppurated.

Tivra Vedanam - Extreamely painful.

Asadhya - incurable

Signs and symptoms of all the three doshas are manifested and

11 KSHUDRA KUSHTA TYPES

8 Eka Kushta

Asvedana - Absence of sweating.

Extensive localization

Yat matsya kalopamum - Resembles the scales of fish.